Schenck supporters make case to ABC Board

Published: Friday, April 19, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 7:56 p.m.

BREVARD — About nine supporters of Schenck Job Corps spoke before the Brevard ABC Board meeting Wednesday evening, urging the board to move a proposed second store location away from the residential facility for at-risk youth in Pisgah National Forest.

“We’re not against capitalism, but we believe Brevard is big enough that they can find another location,” said David Carr, president of Schenck’s community relations council. “We just want to give these young kids the maximum opportunity to be successful, and the risk posed by this store is too great.”

After operating a single store since 1967, Brevard ABC has asked the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Commission to approve a second package store in Pisgah Forest next to Bi-Lo in the Forest Gate Shopping Center. The 1,750-square-foot store was scheduled to open sometime in May.

But after state ABC commissioners received five letters opposing the new store’s location, they voted April 3 to defer their decision on the new store to allow Brevard ABC leaders to address public concerns. The commission is scheduled to take up the matter again at 10 a.m., Wednesday, May 8 in Raleigh.

ABC Chairman Tracey Love said she was surprised by Schenck’s opposition to the new store, since there are at least nine other establishments selling alcohol within walking distance of the Job Corps near the intersection of U.S. Highways 276 and 64.

“You’ve got the Pisgah Tavern, which is actually closest to Schenck, where you can sit and drink a beer,” Love said. “There’s a Mexican restaurant, Sora’s, Trailblazers, which would be this proposed store’s neighbors. And they have full bars, where you can have a shot of tequila or whatever.”

Schenck provides career training and education to about 200 low-income youths ages 16 to 24. Carr said the facility’s substance abuse counselor has data indicating that younger students who get kicked out for alcohol use, when questioned, “always say they got it from an older person. This is not like the beer or the tea they put alcohol in. This is hard stuff.”

Don DeBiase, another Schenck council member who attended the Wednesday meeting, agreed the issue isn’t the sale of alcohol per se, but making hard liquor more available to at-risk students who often are fighting to escape pasts plagued by alcohol or substance abuse.

“We’re talking about a store that specifically sells hard alcohol in little bottles that can be easily concealed,” he said. “They’re not bad kids. They volunteer to go to Schenck to straighten their lives out. But when you’re 16 or 17 years old, they stray, and why put temptation in front of them if you don’t have to?”

Love suggested the problem with Schenck minors getting ejected from the program for alcohol use lies more with the fact that the facility accepts a wide age range. She said the ABC Board is aware that Schenck students over 21 regularly purchase alcohol and cigarettes at a convenience store near their campus.

“We cannot be responsible for containing their students,” Love said. “We are doing our job by being responsible to our community by rigorously checking IDs. They feel their older students are being a bad influence on the 16- to 20-year-olds. Maybe they need to house the 21- to -24-year-olds at another Job Corps.”

Job Corps programs nationwide are already threatened with closure due to federal budget shortfalls, Carr said. He said the new liquor store would only further jeopardize Schenck’s viability by potentially reducing its enrollment. The facility contributes $13 million to the local economy, he added.

“Do we really want to put it at risk any more than it already is of being shut down?” DeBiase said.

Last year, Brevard’s current store at 350 N. Broad St. had sales of $2.8 million and returned $220,000 in net profits to Brevard and Transylvania County governments. Brevard ABC estimates the second store will produce annual sales of $250,000.

<p>BREVARD — About nine supporters of Schenck Job Corps spoke before the Brevard ABC Board meeting Wednesday evening, urging the board to move a proposed second store location away from the residential facility for at-risk youth in Pisgah National Forest.</p><p>“We're not against capitalism, but we believe Brevard is big enough that they can find another location,” said David Carr, president of Schenck's community relations council. “We just want to give these young kids the maximum opportunity to be successful, and the risk posed by this store is too great.”</p><p>After operating a single store since 1967, Brevard ABC has asked the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Commission to approve a second package store in Pisgah Forest next to Bi-Lo in the Forest Gate Shopping Center. The 1,750-square-foot store was scheduled to open sometime in May.</p><p>But after state ABC commissioners received five letters opposing the new store's location, they voted April 3 to defer their decision on the new store to allow Brevard ABC leaders to address public concerns. The commission is scheduled to take up the matter again at 10 a.m., Wednesday, May 8 in Raleigh.</p><p>ABC Chairman Tracey Love said she was surprised by Schenck's opposition to the new store, since there are at least nine other establishments selling alcohol within walking distance of the Job Corps near the intersection of U.S. Highways 276 and 64.</p><p>“You've got the Pisgah Tavern, which is actually closest to Schenck, where you can sit and drink a beer,” Love said. “There's a Mexican restaurant, Sora's, Trailblazers, which would be this proposed store's neighbors. And they have full bars, where you can have a shot of tequila or whatever.”</p><p>Schenck provides career training and education to about 200 low-income youths ages 16 to 24. Carr said the facility's substance abuse counselor has data indicating that younger students who get kicked out for alcohol use, when questioned, “always say they got it from an older person. This is not like the beer or the tea they put alcohol in. This is hard stuff.”</p><p>Don DeBiase, another Schenck council member who attended the Wednesday meeting, agreed the issue isn't the sale of alcohol per se, but making hard liquor more available to at-risk students who often are fighting to escape pasts plagued by alcohol or substance abuse.</p><p>“We're talking about a store that specifically sells hard alcohol in little bottles that can be easily concealed,” he said. “They're not bad kids. They volunteer to go to Schenck to straighten their lives out. But when you're 16 or 17 years old, they stray, and why put temptation in front of them if you don't have to?”</p><p>Love suggested the problem with Schenck minors getting ejected from the program for alcohol use lies more with the fact that the facility accepts a wide age range. She said the ABC Board is aware that Schenck students over 21 regularly purchase alcohol and cigarettes at a convenience store near their campus.</p><p>“We cannot be responsible for containing their students,” Love said. “We are doing our job by being responsible to our community by rigorously checking IDs. They feel their older students are being a bad influence on the 16- to 20-year-olds. Maybe they need to house the 21- to -24-year-olds at another Job Corps.”</p><p>Job Corps programs nationwide are already threatened with closure due to federal budget shortfalls, Carr said. He said the new liquor store would only further jeopardize Schenck's viability by potentially reducing its enrollment. The facility contributes $13 million to the local economy, he added.</p><p>“Do we really want to put it at risk any more than it already is of being shut down?” DeBiase said.</p><p>Last year, Brevard's current store at 350 N. Broad St. had sales of $2.8 million and returned $220,000 in net profits to Brevard and Transylvania County governments. Brevard ABC estimates the second store will produce annual sales of $250,000.</p><p>Reach Axtell at 828-694-7860 or than.axtell@blueridgenow.com.</p>